Cricket Australia appoints Marsh, Bichel as selectors

Melbourne, Nov 10 (IANS) Former players Rodney Marsh and Andy Bichel will be the two new faces in Cricket Australia’s (CA) re-structured national selection panel.

The duo will work under chairman John Inverarity, captain Michael Clarke and the national coach, who is yet to be appointed, according to Sydney Morning Herald.

The appointments were made following the recommendations after the team’s performance review of the Ashes debacle.

“The recommendations included appointment of a senior manager with singular accountability for performance of the Australian cricket team - a new role now filled by Pat Howard - and re-structuring of the national selection panel to include a full-time national selector and to also include the captain and head coach, as well as two part-time selectors,” a CA release said.

Marsh, Australia’s most successful wicketkeeper-batsman, is also credited for his work with cricket academies in Australia in the 1990s.

“I’m excited to be back working for CA. It’s been a decade since I last worked for CA. Certainly, the most rewarding time I ever had was working with CA at the academy in Adelaide.”

“This is an important role and I’m looking forward to watching young Australian cricketers develop and to our established players continuing to improve.”

Bichel has taken up a range of coaching roles since he retired. He was the coach of Papua New Guinea and is currently employed by the Chennai Super Kings in the IPL as a bowling coach.

Bichel said he is eager to make a “real contribution” to the game.

“Over the last 20 years of international, state and county cricket, I have developed knowledge of the game that will assist me in this role.

“I’ve stayed close to the game and have recently been a bowling coach in the IPL and have seen a lot of developing Australian talent perform in that competition,” said Bichel, who was part of the dominant 2003 World Cup winning squad and played 19 Tests for the national side.